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Awesome Games Done Quick 2021 Online concluded after raising $2.7 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. As a host/donation reader, I was fully immersed in the GDQ spirit throughout the week and gained some insight into the choices made by the event organizers. I discuss why incentives are sometimes set high (and then pushed), which donation comments I chose to read, why some donation comments never got to me, and then I go through both of my shifts to discuss how tone changed and what I was attempting to invoke when I was on the microphone. On Wednesday night, during the push for the Zelda: Wand of Gamelon All Cutscene bonus game, I started with Devil May Cry 3 by Waifu. This had hilarious commentary with fast action, high paced gameplay. Zingers flew freely. Immediately after that, the tone shifted to a more relaxing tone with the impressive Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island 100% by Calco. Both the runner and commentator Niakky have English as a Second Language and were nervous about having to perform in English. Then, on Friday, it was all about Yakuza 6: The Song of Life by Froob. The main donation incentive here was a Yakuza cutscene called "Rugby Baby." I had not seen the cutscene ahead of time, which influenced how we (Froob and myself) chose to present it to the audience. Also: I do explain where "SpikeVegeta And Crew" came from, and how it was trying to cover myself and not create a bigger flub.

We visit some comments regarding previous episodes, including some more reminiscing on the Commodore 64 and how we might have formerly on the wrong side of the law but now on the right one. Adobe has finally killed off the Flash platform, taking the memes of the early 2000's offline forever, unless you use an emulator. We ask the chat (and you) what games are you anticipating in 2021? Then we talk to OLR about the death of Adobe Flash and how it affects our day jobs.

Reminder: I'm hosting on Wednesday and Friday nights at Awesome Games Done Quick 2021 Online! Check the schedule for the exact times. Arcade1up released a firmware update for the OutRun cabinet that added Rad Rally to the list of games - but it doesn't go as smoothly as expected. (Check out the video version of this segment on the VOG Network YouTube channel!) Bobby gives his favorite Games of the Year, some you expect and some you might not expect. Then we talk to OLR about Nintendo possibly still using Amiibos and the upcoming AGDQ.

Reminder: I'm going to be hosting at Awesome Games Done Quick 2021 Online on Wednesday and Friday evening the first week of January! Come participate in a wonderful event for charity. Cyberpunk 2077 has been pulled from the PlayStation Network Store and are offering full refunds after CD Projekt Red told customers to seek a refund from Sony if they didn't like the performance on last-gen hardware. Even though it's now an Xbox/PC Exclusive, Microsoft is also offering full refunds, but did not pull the game from their digital storefront. If you're wondering how this passed certification - it's because console certification isn't QA, it just makes sure that the game doesn't destroy the console. I have played the first eight hours on an Xbox Series X, and there's some glimpses of greatness in there. Then we take a call about how GameSpot gave Half-Life: Alyx their Game Of The Year award and how it seems like a milestone for VR gaming.

We dedicate this episode to the memory of Eric Engstrom, one of the renegades at Microsoft who brought us DirectX in the 90's, which led to the creation of the Xbox platform. I'm hosting at Awesome Games Done Quick 2021! Catch me on Wednesday night hosting Devil May Cry 3 and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and again on Friday night hosting Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. The Game Awards took place, and it went well for being a virtual event. Cyberpunk 2077 launched with a major epilepsy trigger based on real medical devices used for diagnosis purposes, but was patched by the time we went on the air. I finally received The C64 - the full size version of the C64 Mini, and the addition of a fully working keyboard that is true to the native Commodore 64 layout makes it my favorite "retro" console to date. Then we take calls about the epilepsy trigger in Cyberpunk 2077 (along with correcting some surprising disinformation) and more talk about The C64.

Dear Sony - if I have a PS5, why do I want to download the PS4 version of a game on top of its PS5 version? Nintendo updated the firmware for the Switch to version 11.0, and it opts you into sharing your data with Google Analytics. Learn how to opt out, which you need to do in TWO SEPARATE PLACES. I rented Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory from Gamefly (it's like Xbox Game Pass for physical media) and, sadly, it's no Theatrhythm. I put together the Arcade1up OutRun cabinet this week - a sit-down driving cabinet that actually does its job well. The full video of this segment is available on YouTube. Then we talk to OLR about Dragon Quest XI's Definitive Edition now on Xbox Game Pass and why its 2D mode is disappointing.

G4 had a reunion special with the "original cast" - without any of the actual original cast from G4's launch in 2002. I got my Xbox Series X, so I talk about how the Smart Delivery system makes the Internet necessary to operate the console, even if you buy the games physically. I also got Yakuza: Like A Dragon, and I am enjoying my foray into Yakuza x Dragon Quest. Then we talk to OLR about No Man's Sky's HDR bug still not being fixed on the PS5, as well as early G4 memories.

We now have a merch store! Profits on the store help VOG Network grow. I give more impressions of the PS5, specifically about games that you already own that have PS5 versions (and how to get them) while also talking about a glowing bug in No Man's Sky with respect to the HDR implementation. The Video Game History Foundation has emulated the unreleased Sega VR headset without actually having the hardware - and now you can play Nuclear Rush with any OpenVR compatible VR headset! Nintendo shut down the Big House's Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament due to utilizing unauthorized modifications and hacks of possibly pirated software. Then we take calls about the takedown of Twitch streams of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity because it released elsewhere in the world before the USA, and how my Xbox Series X was getting here the next day.

Before talking about the new consoles, we talk about how the story has ended between Tommy Tallarico and Roblox over the Oof sound. The Xbox Series X is the biggest Microsoft console launch ever, according to the company. Yet, some people still don't have the one they preordered. The PlayStation 5 WAS acquired, and we give some impressions on the console, its size, the controller, some settings you'll want to check out, the state of atmospheric audio, as well as Astro's Playroom, Bugsnax, and Spider-Man Remastered and Miles Morales. Then we talk to Rob about the PS5 and his time with the Xbox Series X.

I got Hasbro's Animanatronic The Child (Baby Yoda) toy and it's cute and great for your cosplays, even if it doesn't exactly cooperate on command as much as they claim it does. The internal storage capacity of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S leave much to be desired, and the lack of options in terms of expanding them leave even LESS to be desired. Arcade1up announced a sit down driving cabinet featuring the OutRun franchise - sadly the live audience decided to talk all about Spy Hunter instead. Then we take a call about the NEOGEO MVSX arcade cabinet as well as wondering if this is the right time to release new consoles.

No, it's not a paid sponsorship, but I start by giving much love to Atlanta's Gaming Bar and Restaurant Battle & Brew, which is a local business that could use your business if you live here. We have some discussions about topics from previous episodes - Pokemon cards, the Video Games book from 1982 (which is on Archive.org!) and Oculus Quest 2's Facebook registration. Sony has stated that PlayStation VR will not run on native PS5 titles until 2022 at the earliest, saying that the market is not there in a market they dominated in sales. Cyberpunk 2077 has been delayed to December, which is extending the crunch time - however the CEO said it wasn't so bad and then had to apologize. Then we take calls about Sean Connery games and talk to OLR a little bit about Genshin Impact.

I start off with a very quick announcement about an event in January I will be participating with...AGAIN. I rescued all five of my old Commodore 64's! None of them work. I reread a 1982 book for adolescents about video games called Video Games by Daniel Cohen. It's amazing. I also read the brand new book from Sierra On-Line Founder and CEO Ken Williams detailing the rise and fall of my favorite game company as a kid. Twitch has mass deleted content due to DMCA complaints from the recording industry without any ability for streamers to file counterclaims. Then we talk to OLR about predictions on the future of gaming.

Let Me Show You My Pokeymans - I found some Pokemon cards from E3 1998 while going through my things at my childhood home, and some are worth thousands of dollars??? I got Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit and I was surprised at how effective it actually is, and how much promise it shows Alternate Reality gaming for more than just having fun with your pets. The Oculus Quest 2 has a requirement that you must have a Facebook account in good standing, which means if Facebook decides you shouldn't have an account for whatever reasons, you now have a paperweight of a VR device.

I went back to my childhood home this week and pulled out some interesting finds from my past. Intellivision had a stream on 10.10.2020 (their original launch date) to show games and the hardware, as well as release a PC version of Breakout, made by the bit.trip developers. There's a new book on Sierra On-Line written by Ken Williams - it just came and I hope to finish reading it soon. ScummVM has merged with ResidualVM, allowing for both 2D and 3D adventure games to be preserved and enjoyed by modern audiences. Amazon Games has cancelled their free-to-play shooter Crucible after a buggy launch and needing to reallocate resources. Chinese free-to-play open world RPG Genshin Impact, however, made $100 million in it's first two weeks, recouping its development costs. Then we take a call from a blind gamer to talk about the "accidentally accessible" games Hades and 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim.

We talk about some of the games that came out this week that we've been playing - Hades, Super Mario Bros. 35, and Star Wars: Squadrons in VR. Nvidia has released drivers to fix the crashing RTX 3080 cards - and it has nothing to do with capacitors. CD Projekt Red announced that Cyberpunk 2077 developers will be facing mandatory crunch time for the next six weeks after saying that they will no longer be doing crunch time. Then we talk to OLR about Minecraft Steve in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and who will get to sleep first - Sakurai or YoshiP from Square Enix.

The Xbox Series X preorders went live this week - and they were just as bad as the PS5 and RTX 3080's were. But at least people bought Xbox One X's! The RTX 3080 DID make it into the hands of some humans who then reported crashing issues due to some aftermarket cards using cheap components. Amazon has entered the game streaming space with Luna, complete with their own Stadia-like controller. Microsoft bought ZeniMax Media for $7.5 Billion, which includes Bethesda, id Software, and more. Are they making a play in a console war or are they aiming somewhere higher? Then we talk to OLR about ZeniMax, Xbox Series X ordering, and how orange is looking kinda sus...

Atari Historian Curt Vendel passed away unexpectedly last week - he was the first phone interview I ever did on my podcast way back on Episodes 12 and 13 in 2005 to talk about the Atari Flashback 2, which did not emulate an Atari 2600 but was an actual Atari 2600 on one chip. There is a GoFundMe for his family. Dragon Con Went Virtual and it was great! There are a lot of panels on the Digital Media Track YouTube channel that feature myself and Rob Roberts. I was on the British Invaders podcast about the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Infocom game. I was on the Almost Daily Discourse podcast talking about random topics. Awesome Games Done Quick 2021 will be virtual like SGDQ was, and volunteer applications open on September 24th. MAGFest cancelled its January convention without Force Majeure, and held a telethon on Twitch to raise $100k to pay all the penalties. Microsoft announced the Xbox Series X and S early due to a leak, and also announced that EA Play was coming to Game Pass. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game is coming back, and this time it will be on PC so preservation will be easier once the license expires again. Apple is now allowing game streaming services to operate on iOS - as long as each individual game has its own app on the App Store. NVIDIA announced its intentions to buy CPU maker ARM. Then we talk to OLR about conventions and what we're doing with Twitch Channel Points at VOG.

Dragon Con Goes Virtual this coming weekend, and I am on three panels for the Digital Media Track! Check them out on the DCDigitalMedia Twitch channel. There was an addition to the stack of NES consoles on my desk - a Hallmark Keepsake Ornament of the original NES. There are also other Nintendo themed ornaments for 2020! The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment in Oakland, California has had to close down and move their collection into storage. They hope to return in two years. Apple has made good on their promise and turned off Epic Games' developer accounts on Friday, but a judge ruled they had to keep the account related to Unreal Engine active. I talk a little bit about Flight Simulator 2020 and what it was like to fly into an extremely calm hurricane. Then we talk to OLR about The MADE and the upcoming Dragon Con.

I was a host at Summer Games Done Quick 2020! I hosted the amazing Devil May Cry 4 run by Mekarazium. I give some insights from behind the curtain on how the virtual event was done and my hopes to do it again in 2021. I will be a part of Dragon Con Goes Virtual over Labor Day weekend, being on three panels with the Digital Media Track as well as possibly in a segment on DragonConTV. Facebook has stated that a Facebook account will be required for Oculus headsets starting in October, unless you already have an Oculus account, in which it will work until 2023. Millionaires and Billionaires (some say Trillionaires) are still fighting, as Epic and Apple are still having their spat over revenues. Apple entered some emails into the lawsuit as evidence that shows what negotiations did (or didn't) take place. Then we talk to OLR about SGDQ and Microsoft getting involved with the Epic/Apple lawsuit.

Summer Games Done Quick 2020 Online had just started when this episode was recorded, and I hosted the Devil May Cry 4 run! More information on the next episode! There was a 66GB patch for the Xbox One version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone due to the file structure of the game on Xbox consoles. Other platforms only had about 1GB. Epic started its legal feud with Apple by adding their own payment options to Fortnite, which caused Apple to remove it from the app store. Epic decided to also take on Google at the same time because the Google Play store also takes a 30% cut of all purchases. Then we talk to OLR about Fortnite and SGDQ.